Built this rod as the fundraiser for Georgia Fly Fishing For Vets and Project Healing Waters this year - new owner is located in Canada -
First and last attempt at stabilizing splated maple - stabilizing agent - plexiglass disolved in acetone and then forced into the spalted maple under pressure - maple turned rock hard with 100% penitration, used an old pressure cooker and air compressor - many mistakes before finding the right pressure and acetone to plexiglass mixture, reel seat finish - Super Glue, birchbark coated with cork seal.
Pac Bay Rainforest Series II 9wt. Silk wraps with 3 coats of color preserve, maroon trim wraps
That looks cool. Where is the birch bark? The stabilizing process sounds messy. I can see why you don’t want to perform that again… What did you use for the winding check?
The birch bark is the 3/4 inch ring in the middle of the fighting butt and the main portion 6" of the Wells Full grip, the winding check is made from shedded elk antler
The reel seat hardware is a Pac Bay A8 model with a removable fighting butt, the A8 model is a one piece seat - I cut the reel seat off at where the treads met the aluminum reel seat, then I had to remove front cap from the reel seat. then I turned the reel seat insert to fit the skeleton components - the owner wanted a wood insert, the front cap is recessed 1/8’ into the end cap of the grip
What an effort for the owner. Ok, i couldn’t remember if i’d seen a
skeleton anywhere like it would have to be configured to take a wood
insert but there might be something out there, who knows.
The glass impregnation sounds a bit confusing, but the results are superb. Was it the K20 glass bubbles, or another concoction ?
I’ve taken an ash wood insert I turned, and laminated some birch bark over it, top coated it with 2 coats spar, and carry it in my front pants pocket. Over 18 months - - - so far, so good.
